For a West Vancouver local like me, it just doesn’t get any better. Imagine Sarah McLachlan, Neil Young and Sheryl Crow playing in my very own little community of West Vancouver (www.westvancouver.com).

For those lucky ticket holders who are on their way to West Vancouver’s Ambleside Park on Saturday May 12, here’s a rundown of need-to-know items including directions, start times, transit info and banned items.

For those without tickets – forget it, they’re gone. The best you’re gonna get (beyond a scalper) is a view of a big fence, however I’m betting that you’re going to be able to hear it pretty good if you have a friend with a nearby apartment balcony. Boaters, you too are out of luck because the harbour patrol will be out shooing you away.

For residents – buckle in. The roads around the park are basically closed (even though they claim the park is still open to the public), and the surrounding area, including Park Royal Mall is being used for parking. Good luck getting anywhere. Also, I hope you like it noisy because the gates open at noon and the final act doesn’t wrap up until 11pm.

Enjoy the show.

– – – – – – –

Gates Open: 12:00pm

B Stage Performance Commences: 2:15pm

Main Stage Performance Commences: 4:15pm

Concert Concludes: 10:00pm (main stage) & 10:50pm (B-Stage)

Performance Schedule

12:00pm – Doors open

2:15pm – Dustin Bentall

3:15pm – Meaghan Smith

4:15pm – The Canadian Tenors

5:10pm – Luke Doucet / Melissa McClellan

6:20pm – SM Foundation Band / Choir

7:05pm – Sheryl Crow

8:10pm – Neil Young

9:15pm – Sarah McLachlan

10:00 – Main-stage ends

10:00-10:50pm – B-stage / DJ

*subject to change

Traffic Plan:

Ambleside Park will be closed on Friday September 11th midnight and will be open at noon for the concert. The park will be open again to the public on Sunday September 13th at 7:00 p.m

The event parking lot located in the gravel field to the east of the tennis courts will be limited to one way traffic. Inbound traffic will enter from 13th Street and exit using Pound Road.

Pound Road will be closed to park enter from Friday September 11th midnight until Sunday September 13th at 7:00 p.m

To facilitate the efficient flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic at the intersection of 13th Street and Bellevue Ave , On September 12th from noon to midnight, between 13th and 14thStreet, Bellevue Ave will be limited to westbound traffic only, and Argyle Avenue will be closed.

Marine Drive will have a “Temporary no parking” restriction between 13th and 14th Streets , as well as the intersections 13th Street @ Clyde Avenue and 14th Street @ Clyde Ave to facilitate the extra buses traffic flow, that will be available for the concert.

Taxi Zone will be along the north side of Bellevue Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets.

Directions:

It is strongly advised that patrons use public transit or alternate means of getting to the site as there will be no vehicle traffic permitted within Ambleside Park on the event day and parking in the surrounding areas is limited.

From Downtown Vancouver

Head northwest on Georgia Street towards Stanley Park Causeway Road. Continue on Stanley Park Causeway Road across the Lion’s Gate Bridge and take the exit ramp onto Marine Drive West (into West Vancouver). Ambleside Park is situated South of Marine Drive between 13th Street and Park Royal Shopping Centre.

From Highway 1

Take exit 13 for Taylor Way South. Continue South on Taylor Way and turn right at Marine Drive towards West Vancouver. Take the left lane signed for West Vancouver and continue along Marine Drive. Ambleside Park is situated South of Marine Drive between 13th Street and Park Royal Shopping Centre.

General Questions – Ticket Holders

Q: Will there be will-call at the concert and where will this be located?

A: Yes, the will-call will be located at Gate 2 on the southeast corner of the concert site. Please refer to the site map for concert overview.

Q: Is there wheelchair access to the concert?

A: There will be platforms for viewing for persons in a wheelchair, one in the General Admissions area and one in Reserved Seating Area. It is recommended that ticket holders with physical disabilities inform the ticket provider of their details so arrangements can be made to accommodate their mobility needs.Wheelchair accessible washrooms will be provided.

Q: Is there seating provided at concert?

A: Of the 9,000 tickets sold for Summer Sessions at Ambleside, 1,200 are in a designated reserved seating area in front of the stage (more expensive tickets). Otherwise seating is not provided and personal chairs will not be allowed inside the gates (no exceptions will be made). Ticket holders are encouraged to bring a blanket to spread out on the grass and enjoy.

Q: Can I get to this concert by bus? If so, what information do I need to know?

A: Yes, in fact, we encourage all concert goers to take the Blue Bus. There are a number ofbus routes that travel from North Vancouver and Vancouver to West Vancouver and as a rule all West Vancouver buses are numbered in the 250’s. For detailed information on bus schedules and specific bus stop locations, visit www.translink.bc.ca.

Translink has done extensive planning and has brought additional buses in to ensure maximum efficiencies, in particular following the event.

Here is a quick reference list of West Vancouver bus numbers and routes:

250 – Horseshoe Bay/Dundarave/Vancouver

251 – Queens/Vancouver/Park Royal

252 – Inglewood/Vancouver/Park Royal

253 – Caulfeild/Vancouver/Park Royal

254 – British Properties/Park Royal/Vancouver

255 – Dundarave/Lynn Valley

Q: When heading to the concert, what bus stop should I get off at?

A: The closest bus stop to Ambleside Park is at 13th Street and Marine Drive.

Q: When heading home from the concert, where can I catch the bus?

A: Bus travellers will have three choices for loading depending on their destination.

Westbound passengers will board from the gas station at 13th and Marine.North Vancouver and sea-bus bound passengers will board from the rear of the south mall (where the spirit trail emerges from Ambleside),while all Vancouver bound passengers will board from the main South Mall Park Royal stop on Marine drive.

Q: Will there a taxi stand near-by the concert?

A: Yes, the taxi stand will be located on Argyle Avenue between 13th and 14th Street in West Vancouver. This section of road will be reserved strictly for the use of taxi cabs.

Q: Can I ride my bicycle to the concert?

A: Absolutely YES!We strongly encourage this and will operate a FREE, secure bike valet service outside gate 2 on the southeast corner of the concert site.

Q: Will parking be readily available at the concert?

A: Parking will be extremely limited surrounding the concert venue, so we encourage everyone to take transit, walk, or bike to avoid traffic and parking issues.

Q: Where can I park my car at the concert?

A: Free Parking: Free parking for the concert has been designated at the Clyde Avenue Lot, which is located on the northeast corner of Marine Drive and Taylor Way, to the east of Park Royal North Shopping Centre. There are approximately 600 spots that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pay Parking: $10 pay parking will be available at Park Royal South on the back side of the shopping mall near the Spirit Trail. This is considered “Staples” store parking. Pay parking will be limited to the MEZZAINE LEVEL of this parking lot. A designated parking attendant will be present to direct people to this parking area and signage will also be in place. . There are approximately 200 spots that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Premium Reserved Parking: $20 all-day parking will be available on the gravel lot beside Ambleside Park.brand.LIVE will be pre-selling these parking spaces on a first come first served basis starting September 1st.Information on pre-sold parking will be available by contacting Nancy at 604-733-7171 orinfo@brandlivegroup.comThose interested in this parking arrangement will be required to pre-pay and register their vehicle at the brand.LIVE office in Vancouver at 165 – 1020 Mainland Street. . There are approximately 200 spots that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

A: YES, this will be a second stage for entertainment leading up to the headliner performances, with a DJ and guests ending the night-following the close of the main-stage.

Q: Can I bringalcoholic beverages into the concert?

A: No outside alcoholic beverages will be allowed within the concert gates. Beer and wine will be available at the beer and wine gardens within the concert venue and within the reserved seating section.

General Questions – Non Ticket Holders

Q: Will there be any additional tickets available leading up to the concert?

A: The venue capacity for Summer Sessions at Ambleside has been set at 9,000, so unfortunately no additional tickets will be available.

Q: If I don’t have a ticket, can I still enjoy the concert?

A: Only ticket holders will be able to view the concert as the event area is surrounded by tall fencing with screens. However, as sound travels, the concert will be audible outside the gates. Ambleside Beach will be open to the public during the concert.

Q: Where are the toilet facilities located for those individuals who are enjoying the concert from outside the gates?

A: There are two public washrooms located in Ambleside Park that will be available for everyone to use. One is at the Ambleside Concession; the other is located inside the Ambleside Sports Field Change Rooms, to the North of the railway tracks.

Q: Are there any planned West Vancouver road closures or parking restrictions scheduled for Sept. 12?

A: Yes there are a few road closures on the afternoon and evening of Sept. 12th for the Summer Sessions at Ambleside concert. The road closures are as follows:

Argyle Avenue between 13th and 14th Street will be closed from 5:00pm to midnight, Bellevue Avenue between 13th and 14th Street eastbound will be closed from 5:00pm to midnight, and Pound Road will be closed to all westbound traffic from 7:00am to midnight – this road will serve as an eastbound traffic exit route for the gravel parking lot that is being operated by brand.LIVE on September 12th.

Q: Will there be ATM’s on site?

A: Yes, we will have multiple ATM’s available for your convenience

Q: What items are disallowed?

A: For safety reasons, the following items are disallowed:

COOLERS

BOTTLES

CANS

ALCOHOL

OUTSIDE FOOD

PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS

AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDERS

UMBRELLAS

LAWNCHAIRS

BANNERS

FRISBEES

PETS

KNIVES

WEAPONS

GLASS

CHAIRS

LASER POINTERS

Q: Can I enjoy the concert by boat?

A: For safety reasons, boats will not be allowed to anchor off Ambleside beach and this will be enforced by harbour police.

Q: Can I launch my boat from the Ambleside Landing?

A: The Ambleside Landing will be closed to boat traffic from 11pm on Friday, September 11thuntil 7:00pm on Sunday, September 13th.

Q: Can I bring my well behaved dog down to Ambleside Park to enjoy the concert from outside the concert gates?

A: Dogs on leashes are permitted through areas of Ambleside Park where signs indicate that dogs are allowed. Park visitors should note that dogs are not permitted on the beach, playground, sports fields, concession stand, or around the pond at Ambleside Park. The dog off-leash park at the far east end of Ambleside Park will remain open for the use of dogs and their owners on September 12th, 2009.

Written by: Catherine Barr

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